So of course it would be logical, if not prudent, to try to put out that terrible heat with oceans and oceans of water.

I spluttered, yanked back from the dark little island which had been floating on all that lava, carrying me willy and nilly like so many gleeberflies dancing in the moonlight. My flailing arms waved uncontrollably, then one came into contact with something.

A soft oof was my reward for that; shuddering and blinking now it suddenly struck me that I wasn't on fire, that there was no volcano, that I was sitting on the deck of a ship, wet as a...

Well. As a wet hen.

And thrice as mad.

"DAMMIT!" I roared, spluttering, shaking my head to rid myself of as many of the annoying droplets as I could. Sniffling, I placed my hand back behind me on the deck; of course it landed in a puddle and whipped out from behind me.

It was only because I was stiffening with growing ire that I didn't whang my head on the deck. Instead, I blinked again, focused and then finally recognized, really, where I was and who I was with.

How I had gotten from Point A to Point Z was a quickly fading memory.

I sat quickly up.

"D-did we do it?" I said, feeling suddenly ridiculous, then shivering yet again as something my sister had yelled to me during all the turmoil solidified like cement in my head.

I had that same weird power she did.

The All....

--------------------

“You and Jharmeen opened up a big old hole and we pushed the planets and sun right through it.”

He returned with a blanket in hand and wrapped it around Galen. He sat down beside her and Terrin.

“Sorry about that,” he said, rubbing his leg. “Really sorry. But we had to get you back with us. Are you all right?”

--------------------

"Er.. no. Ahh...

"I don't know."

I paused, suddenly flustered, then frowned to hide the bewilderment that was beginning to flood me. My lips pursed, I shot a glance to Panthar, to Terrin, around my immediate surroundings to where it fell on a somehow familiar sight.

That of my sister laying in the arms of the Sith, unconscious.

I gasped, scrabbled to my feet, utterly ignoring both Terrin and Panthar for the moment, and fell to my knees beside Jharmeen. Without thinking, I took up one of her limp hands in my own.

"What happened? Is she all right? She's going to be all right, isn't she?"

Again I shot a look around me, pinning each and every person there, silently willing everyone to respond in immediate and light-hearted affirmation.

[ 01-13-2005 12:32 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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“The Eyes said, before it vanished, that all is as it was. I take that to mean that it reset things as they were before time stopped. Mostly. I no longer have the knowledge of the Dark Lords, yet I remember the experience. Before time stopped, Jharmeen was barely awake, the power of the Eye of R’lous rekindling her spirit and keeping the beast within her at bay. I believe that is where she is now. But the strain of what she just did, with you, has left her weak.”

He looked to Shayla.

“When you have recovered, please try to give her healing.”

He turned back to Galen.

“Thank you for trusting us, Galen. I did not realize that you knew nothing of your powers. It took much trust, and bravery. But we need more, from all of us. We are returning to K’eel Doba at present, to recover. We will need to elude the blockade there, for they cannot have this ship. With Shayla drained, we need your piloting skills and possibly your Sith belt.”

--------------------

She trailed, quite nearly dragging herself to Jharmeen and the others, "It's going to have to be now."

Reaching out then she took a deep breath, still exhausted, and closed her eyes, letting the Force envelope her. Then she reached a hand out to lay it upon Jharmeen's forehead, and channeled Force energy to her.

--------------------

Dammit, he thought to himself, She had just found the sister that she thought she had lost all those years, and that alone was enough to make this important, let alone the even grander spectrum. No way could they let things remain this way, not without a fight...

"Come'on everyone, help her!" he suddenly spoke up, walking over to the others slowly as he motioned to Shayla and Jharmeen, "Maybe if everyone who has powers of one kind or another contributes what they've got, we can do this. We've at least gotta try," he insisted, squatting then as he placed a hand on Galen's shoulder as something then occurred to him.

Thoran...you there? You think you could help out with this, cause if so...

[ 01-13-2005 07:35 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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He nodded, then closed his eyes and focused. Shayla would not face the beast alone, if it did indeed tried to once again attack Jharmeen. He let his mind drift towards her, felt the power and the warmth of her, and then connected with her spirit.

She was strong, he could feel her spirit’s power. But her body was weak, drained by the enormous task of opening a doorway into the Elseness large enough for an entire solar system. He could also feel Shayla’s healing energies within Jharmeen, and hoped he could protect them both while Shayla mended the physical damage. He then prepared his own magick for the attack he was sure would come, but hoped would not.

Please, Aelvedaar, he thought. Let her go. Let us be united, a Triumvirate rejoined.

[ 01-13-2005 11:12 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Phalomir ]

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Thoran’s thoughts rushed through Terrin.

She can’t! She’s not strong enough… oh crap! Terrin, just go to Gray, touch her, and don’t move.

Thoran focused, his essence drawing itself together into a tight ball of energy. His most famous trick, the one that earned him a spot on the Master’s team in the first place, was now called upon. With a shove of magick – combined with a little power left from his native realm – he launched himself from Terrin’s mind and into Jharmeen’s.

The move was a shock, for the relatively normal mind of Terrin was vastly different from the very messed-up mind of Jharmeen. He tried desperately to find a corner to hide his essence within, and could not find a quiet corner anywhere. He focused instead on the kernel of thought and power that seemed to be the center of all activity within the Dark Lady’s mind, and dropped his essence there. He could feel Shayla’s warmth, her healing, and could even sense Phalomir’s magick. But there was something else here, something powerful, belligerent. Something waiting…

As he was now waiting. One shadowy figure ready to face another.

But it was Shayla, not Jharmeen, who was the focus of his concern.

--------------------

He paused, looking worriedly at Shayla before he looked back, "I have flown a Sith warship, and probably would be able to do it. But for now, I'm going to help them," he ended, nodding towards the others who now surrounded Jharmeen, particularly Shayla. And then he too reached out a hand, laid it on Jharmeen's shoulder, closing his eyes and stretching out with the Force as he did so.
Any help would be better than nothing...

[ 01-13-2005 11:02 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Erik Kartan ]

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...and was quite surprised that he didn't.

Thoran? What the hell are you doing?

No response.

Allright, this is the second time. What the kriffing hell was going on here?

But, rather than immediate assume anything, Terrin remained in place. If Thoran was whole and hale and inside his head somewhere, Terrin wasn't going to budge an inch so long as he believed Thoran could be of help here...

--------------------

Suddenly her lips tensed, then loosened. Her lids fluttered, and a slight smile seemed to creep about her features. The Glyph on her forehead raised back into ultraviolet splendor from the near coal black state it had been reduced to; a breath of a sigh escaped from between her teeth.

From nowhere, it was as if an immense bolt of electricity had struck. Her body, after having finally regained something approximating its normal state, spasmed, sending her head thrashing back against Phalomir's chest. Her arms thrust upward and out, stiff and iron tense, striking one of the Healers who hovered so anxiously over her.

One leg raised, bent, and a sharp knee struck her sister a glancing blow to the side, sending her keeling awkwardly off to find a place on the deck nearby.

The author of those physical ramifications cared not a whit for the side effects of his rising. Deep within her very being, the Beast raised upright, stiff-legged, hackles raised, flat pewter eyes glaring at Thoran.

It roared a challenge... and swung a massively incorporeal paw, slicing into the other spirit, sending it reeling back into another corner of Jharmeen's mind. Not willing to let well enough alone, it then lunged, claws extended, ready to slice and shred this unwanted newcomer into nothing more than bits and pieces of memories.

Which most assuredly would fade, in one manner or another....

--------------------

"He's fighting it," she whispered unnecessarily, her eyes still closed. As she remained in place, she couldn't help the errant thought which wandered into her mind.

How could he do this to her, after seeming to show such concern for her, such love? How could things have changed so?

Then, unmoving, Shayla braced herself, prepared for another attack if and when it would come.

--------------------

"Something broken?" he queried, his look then darkening as Shayla's words finally registered and he finished with, "I think Aelvedaar is perhaps concerned about our possible ability to succeed, with a reaction like that..."

--------------------

“Well,” he said, “that was stupid.”

The beast swiped at him again, and Thoran moved aside quickly enough to not be touched by the power of the paws.

“Phal, anytime you want to join in!” he called out. There was no time, however, as the beast sliced through him this time, leaving a searing pain ripping though his essence. If he didn’t get out of here now, he may become an ethereal corpse floating around Graysith’s mind, and that was unsettling enough for him to flash away to another corner of her mind to jump back to Terrin.

But Terrin was not within range.

“NOOO!!!!! Terrin, when I say ‘don’t let go’ I mean ‘DON’T LET GO’!!!!!!”

The Beast approached again, its eyes burning their way towards Thoran. Panic struck its way into him, and like a cornered animal he started looking for the fastest way out. His transfer powers only worked on someone who was touching the body or the mind he was inhabiting.

Thoran called up the ability and in a panic dove for the closest entity.

Directly into the beast.

And ended up in a place he most definitely did not want to be.

(((OOC: Join Thoran for an interesting ride inside the mind of the great Aelvedaar in My Enemy, My Ally in this forum. Thank you (and posibly goodbye… gulp))))

[ 01-14-2005 11:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Thoran ]

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It was one red of skin, coiled of horn, molten-eyed and silken of tongue. Now, while the mere thought of Lord Aelvedaar did not produce the same kind of panic-stricken reaction that thoughts of his evil counterpart did, I was no fool. I had run into him more than once in the last four years; shaking my head, I let one hand drift across my body to rub against my ribs. The sweet little pain that provoked confirmed my hopes; while I was sure to sport one dandy of a bruise in the very near future, at least nothing was broken.

I craned my head upward, capturing Terrin's gaze with my own.

"I'm fine," I finally managed.

"But I don't think you're on the right track about Aelvedaar. He's not fighting the healing; I think he's fighting something else.

"Just what that is, I sure as there's Treasure on Roon haven't a clue."

--------------------

...and Galen's thoughts on the matter fueled her musings even further.

If he wasn't fighting the healing...

...then what? What was in the bigger picture of all of this, what was it that Aelvedaar was trying to maintain by fighting their efforts? And what would possibly be destroyed should they succeed?

An answer came, one which suddenly made all the sense in the universe.

Aelvedaar had, until Recinis left her, quite an amount of influence in Jharmeen's life. He'd influenced it from the moment he'd found her and she'd reached into the past and pulled him forward in time. But now, aside from the beast...

"The Beast within is the only thing he has left to control her with," Shayla whispered, her speech broken as Jharmeen continued to thrash, "He doesn't want lose that..."

[ 01-23-2005 10:42 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Shayla Stargazer Petrolu ]

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“It was Thoran,”said Phalomir quietly, with a sudden awareness of what had happened, yet not aware he spoke aloud. “The Beast has finished him.”

Through foolishness or bravery, I do not know, but the quiet can only mean that he is no longer here within Jharmeen. But why did he do this?

Phalomir could feel the presence of the Beast, but not the malice of its earlier attacks on Jharmeen. Still, he maintained his protection, for what good it could do, and hoped he could keep her safe until they reached K’eel Doba and gather their strength before seeking Aelvedaar in person. He may have been alone in his desire to speak with Aelvedaar, but he still felt it was right.

The Triumvirate must survive.

--------------------

Instead I just sighed, and slumped back against Terrin, smiling a little to see that Jharmeen had calmed and now appeared to be sleeping.

She has to be just asleep, she only snores like that when she's really, really tired....

I looked up to Terrin then.

"I don't know about going to Aelvedaar," I put forth with a little frown, "but I do want to get to K'eel Doba. Coming in under the auspices of their Dark Lady--"

Here I nodded meaningfully toward my sister, who merely garbled something and rolled on her side in Phal's arms, curling up into a most un-Dark-Lady-like little ball there.

"--is probably a helluva lot easier way to get a Sith fighter.

"We have to, you know... that is, I have to."

My eyes widened then as I derailed completely, right at the end of that sentence.

Dear Khaandon, Terrin doesn't know....

I turned around and put both hands on his face, tilting his eyes down to meet mine. Then, what the hey, no need dragging this thing out--

"Sorben has Darra on Coruscant, and I think a Sith fighter is our only way to get through the blockade there to find her."

I quieted with that, letting one corner of my mouth quirk up in a hopeful little grin; then I sighed and let my hands slither from Terrin's face to lace about his waist. I laid my head against him, closing my eyes to hear the beating of his heart.

"It's going to be good to rest a little bit first, though."

[ 01-23-2005 11:03 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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A clicking of two gears, perfectly aligned, resounded within Panthar’s head as previously disjointed thoughts came snapping into perfect harmony.

“Holy crud,” he shouted, “Is that the guy you’re talking about?!”

--------------------

If Darra was on Coruscant...

...then they sure as kriffing hell were going to get to her. Galen had been searching for her far too long, it was time to have some success...

"If it's a Sith fighter we need to get to her...

...then it's a Sith fighter you'll..."

He trailed, unable to finish his thoughts as Panthar's words came slamming into his ears. He jerked to face him.

"What do you mean, he was looking for his daughter? He was the last person to have Darra. Unless..."

He paused then, shooting a dark look Shayla's way. "Shayla, he asked for Phalomir to look for his daughter on the Sith worlds. Do you know something about this?"

[ 01-23-2005 11:22 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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...but I don't know if she ever did anything about it. And so far as we know, what Sorben said could be some kind of ruse. After all, the last verifiable evidence I had of Darra's whereabouts left her on Coruscant with Tarnus. That would lead me to believe she is still there."

--------------------

If just a touch shy of hysterically.

"W-wait a minute," I stammered with a gulp. Now my hands flew about myself and hugged fiercely, my brain simply not willing to entertain the thought that in all probability--

"Sorben lost Darra?!"

I shook my head, biting my lip to give some sort of excuse for the tears now welling up in my eyes.

Damned if I was gonna break down again!

I managed to draw in a shuddery breath, and finally found words.

"Why else would Sorben be here... with ships did you say?"

I leveled a fast glance toward Panthar, who only looked back at me, seeming to try to compose his thoughts. Not waiting for him, I went on.

"If Sorben came with ships because he thinks Darra is on one of the Sith worlds, I don't think there would be anything to keep him from attacking."

I slumped to the deck, coming to a limp cross-legged halt there. Blinking, I looked up at everyone.

"Does anyone know if K'eel Doba was attacked? I mean, is there any justification for it? I know he wouldn't be here, out in the open, if this was just a ruse; believe me I know him too well."

Far, far too well....

[ 01-23-2005 11:53 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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...for something. I do believe, though, that if Sorben thought Darra might be on one of the Sith worlds, he wouldn't attack until after he had her back. Only then would he have any justification for attacking."

--------------------

"Like you know him," I snorted, carefully climbing to my feet to stare at Shayla. The shaky friendship which had begun to bud between us seemed to waver, as if before a blast of icy winter's wind.

I shook my head.

"He'd do anything for Darra, anything; that's what I think," I finished, then plopped my hands on my hips and cast another look around.

"Just like I would."

--------------------

...I'd have to conclude that she was the one who took her from Sorben. My concern, however, is what happened from that point. Did she hide Darra off in secrecy...

...or did someone else find her? After all, there have been several entities entirely too interested in her capabilities in the past..."

He trailed, his look growing impossibly darker...

...and entirely determined. He turned to Galen, this time taking her chin in his hand. "We'll find her, no matter what it takes," he stated, leveling his gaze with hers a moment before dropping his hand and then looking to the others. "We've gotta establish whether K'eel Doba is still in tact first though. This is a Sith ship we're in...

...could we do this through some of the Sith technology aboard?"

[ 01-24-2005 12:19 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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